


What's in a Name?

by TheBrokenWriter911



Series: The Name Trilogy [1]
Category: Moominvalley (Cartoon 2019), Mumintroll | Moomins Series - Tove Jansson, 楽しいムーミン一家 | Moomin (Anime 1990)
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Emotional Hurt, Invisible Snufkin, Invisible Snusmumriken | Snufkin, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-27
Updated: 2019-05-27
Packaged: 2020-03-20 01:44:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,680
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18982663
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheBrokenWriter911/pseuds/TheBrokenWriter911
Summary: A prequel to What’s your Name?When Snufkin left Moomin Valley, he was met with unwanted thoughts and started turning invisible. Then he met Too Ticky.





	What's in a Name?

Little My had started bugging him when Moomintroll started hanging out with Sniff and Snorkmaiden more.

“You’re moping around.” She accused him one day.

“No, I’m not.” Snufkin replied, “I’m simply fishing.”

She glared at him, “Moomintroll has been ignoring you.”

“He has his own life.” He hummed.

“You’re leaving soon.”

“Very observant, Little My.” He looked over at her, “Is there something you want?”

“What? I can’t want your company?”

“You?” Snufkin chuckled, “I doubt that very much.”

“Fine. You’ve caught me.” Little My put her hands up, “I wanted to call out your crush on Moomintroll.”

“My what?” He stuttered out, almost dropping his fishing pole into the water.

“I knew it!” She laughed, “You do like him!”

Snufkin shook his head, reeling in, and getting up, “I want to be alone now, Little My.”

“Wait until I tell Moomin!”

He paled and stopped her, “Don’t tell him anything.”

“I thought you didn’t like him?”

He blushed, “Fine… I do like him, but that’s our secret.”

“So you are moping!”

“I’m not moping.” Snufkin sighed, “I’ll be leaving soon. If Moomin doesn’t want to be my friend anymore, that's his decision. I just wish he would be more straightforward with it.”

Little My looked surprised and stormed off without saying anything.

~

A week into travelling south, the nightmares started.

They all entailed at least Moomin, talking about how horrible a friend he was. Sometimes it was him, Snorkmaiden, Sniff, and Little My.

The first one took his fingers and toes, then with each nightmare the invisibility crept up to his shoulders and waist. The worst one that happened was when it started rising on his neck and chest.

~

It started normally, with him walking up to the Moomin House, about to knock when he heard voices inside.

“Mamma,” It was Moomin, “Snufkin hasn’t been a good friend.”

He was going to turn around and leave, but he was rooted to the spot.

“How so?” Moominmamma questioned, “He’s your best friend.”

“No, he’s not. He’s so annoying. He leaves every winter and expects us to still be friends?”

Snufkin lifted his hands to his ears, but could clearly hear what Moomin said next.

“I hate him.”

Then Snufkin was stumbling back, tears threatening to fall, but they never do.

~

For sometime, he got put into a Hemulan jail. He hadn’t done anything that he could recall. Soon enough or not, considering he was fully invisible with no voice. A man broke him out.

Once they ran out of the jail he explained, “It was my crime, I’m the Joxter.”

Snufkin just looked at him.

“Right you’re invisible.” He nodded and looked around, “Well, you wouldn’t happen to know where a place called Moomin Valley is would you?”

He gestured to the north.

“To the north? It’s almost spring so I’ll travel with you if you don’t mind.”

~

Surprisingly, he didn’t mind. Something about him was comforting.

“Have you been to Moomin Valley before?”

They had developed a way of communication, one foot tap for no and two for yes. He gave two foot taps into the dirt.

“I’m going to see an old friend.” He explained, “I heard he’s called Moominpappa now.”

His sleeves started becoming translucent as he thought of the Moomins.

“Oh!” The Joxter took notice quite quickly, “Have they done something to you?”

He tapped once and shook his head.

“No? Then why?” He questioned, “Are you overthinking?”

A really hesitant tap.

“I don’t believe you.” He paused then explained, “Did something happen and you keep making up reasons as to why it did?”

He gave two confused taps.

“Then getting thrown in jail probably didn’t help.” He mumbled to himself.

He felt something squeeze his arm, reassuringly.

“Maybe we’ll meet again when your visible? Perhaps at Moomin Valley?” He smiled at him.

Snufkin gave two taps in agreement.

“I’m not going there straight away.” He said, looking into the fire, “I don’t know if I should even go, but I will eventually. Maybe the end of spring.”

That was the end of their conversation. The next morning, they began a trek through the woods. They got seperated at a point and that’s when he succumbed to full invisibility, with no way to find him for sure now.

~

The birds liked to fly by him. It was calming. They seemed to notice he was there. Their songs were sad, he wondered if they knew what this invisibility meant. They made sure the air was filled with sound, but at night when they stopped and only the owls were awake, nightmares filled his mind. Strangely enough, Moominmamma, Moominpappa, and the Joxter appeared in some, but they seemed to only be defending him against the perceived hate from everyone else.

Everyone was gathered at the table, even the Joxter, which was odd.

“I can’t believe he still comes around.” Snorkmaiden whispered to Sniff.

He nodded, "No one wants him here.”

“Didn’t he get the memo?” Little My glared at him.

“Now, now everyone. That’s no way to speak about our friend.” Moominpappa interrupted.

“He’s not a friend. He’s just an unwanted guest.” Snorkmaiden turned to glare at Snufkin.

“More like a pest.” Sniff added,

“Dears.” Moominmamma tried.

“I wish he didn’t come back at all.” Moomintroll turned his head away.

The Joxter stood up, anger on his face. Before he could do anything, the voices of reason faded, disappearing just like his own skin had.

“Snufkin has a crush on Moomintroll!” Little My announced.

“As if I would like you back.” Moomintroll laughed.

Snufkin shrunk into his chair, moving his hat to cover his face. They surrounded him, tearing his hat away and started taunting him.

"Why hide?" Little My questioned.

"It's too late." Snorkmaiden growled.

"We hate you." Sniff added.

"I hate you." Moomin finished, throwing his hat to the ground and pushing him off his chair.

"He hates you." The other three confirmed as he fell.

He expected the floor, but kept falling through a swirling void.

_I hate you. He hates you. He hates me._

~

Snufkin gasped and sat up. It was the middle of the night. He sighed and got out of his tent. He decided to get a fire going and after getting some dry sticks, he was successful. With the warmth of the fire, his eyes started drooping, and soon enough he was asleep.

~

He was awoken by someone's voice.

"Hello? Is someone here?"

They were about to leave when he quietly rushed forward and grabbed their arm.

"Invisible then. I'm sorry if I woke you."

He didn't know how to reassure her that it was fine, but soon she was speaking again.

"I'm Too Ticky. I was on my way south, but I can head back north with you. I know of a family of Moomins that would love to help you. Would that be okay?"

He tapped his foot twice.

"Great!" She smiled, "I'll let you pack up your things and we can start heading out."

She let him do it himself, which he appreciated. The worried birds would try to take what they could, which he appreciated, but would rather do things himself.

"I suppose I can't get your name." She then pulled out a slip of paper and a pencil, "Maybe you could write it?"

Snufkin tapped twice, hesitantly.

"Unless you don't feel comfortable, that's fine." Too Ticky glanced over to a patch of melting snow, "Spring's almost here. Soon flowers will be growing."

Snufkin listened to her as he packed up, wishing he could converse back.

"Why don't I call you Snowdrop?" She suggested, and he stopped, then she started explaining, "The first flower of spring. They symbolize hope. Hope for the end of winter and for new warmth to enter our lives. Is that okay?"

He tapped his foot twice.

"At least I have something to call you now." She smiled, "Don't worry. I won't tell them it."

Soon enough he had his pack done and he was ready. She nodded as he walked over and they were off.

~

"I don't think I know your gender." She brought up one of the times they stopped for the night, "One for female, two for male?"

He gave two taps.

She nodded, "I can introduce you properly to the Moomins now, Snowdrop."

~

He had a nightmare that night. He couldn't remember what it was about because before it could get worse, Too Ticky had woken him up.

"Are you okay?" She asked.

He gave two, shaky knocks.

"Good. That seemed like a bad nightmare."

He gave two more knocks.

"I hope the Moomins can help. They have a son your age, possibly. I've heard of a friend he has that comes back from a winter adventure every spring."

She started to tell him about the Moomins until he fell into a fitful sleep.

~

The night before they reached Moomin Valley she had a talk with him.

“I know they won’t ask about your name so don’t worry, Snowdrop.” She paused before smiling, “I hope we meet again when you’re visible.”

Snufkin tapped his foot twice in agreement.

“Unfortunately, I have to leave as soon as I can.” She dropped her smile, “I’m sorry, I can’t stay longer. I hope that’s okay.”

He tapped twice. He thought about how they might notice him by his pack, so he got her attention and she pulled out a paper and pencil. She handed it over to him. As he wrote down what he wanted to say, she grabbed a flashlight.

He handed it back over and watched her shine the flashlight.

The shadows shone in the firelight, _Can you put my pack in the guest room? I don’t want them to see it._

“Alright. I’ll do that then I’ll head out.” She nodded.

~

The next day was the first day of spring. They walked up to the door, it seemed the Moomins haven’t woken up.

Regardless, Too Ticky knocked on the door. It took a while, but eventually the door opened.

“Hello, Moominmamma. Do you have room to house a guest?”

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed the story! Kudos and Comments are also appreciated.
> 
> I'm planning one last story in this series! To wrap up the story line.
> 
> Also big thank you to my friend for proofreading my story and another big thank you for everyone who kudos and comments on this and gave kudos commented on the part I posted before this one :)


End file.
